Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 32732, Thomas Gleason, Continental Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Continental Mass
Gleason, Thomas
S. 32732
CONTENTS

Application sent to Abraham D. Dyer 221 State Street, Boston, September, 1822.
10,641
Massachusetts.
Thomas Gleason 4
of Burlington in the state of Massach'tts who was a private in the regiment commanded by Colonel Tarrance of the Rhode Island line, for the term of one year.
Continental 14 March
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of -8- Dollars per month, to commence on the 7 of April 1818.
Certificate of Pension issued the 15. of May 1819 and sent to Hon. John Davis, Judge, Boston.
  Arrears to 4th of March 1819  87.43    Semi-ann. all'ce ending 4 Feb. 1819  48. —  
10. 24/30 4/31 — $135 43
{ Revolutionary claim, } { Act 18th March, 1818. }
Continued.

223
Thomas Pearson private
Company A 1st Regt Massachusetts
1 st Enlistment, did not serve Nine months -
2 nd Enlistment - Col: Varnum did not belong to Massachusetts Line -
3 & 4 th enlistments not on Continental Establishment
one of in Varnum's R. I. Regt 1775.
New Evidence B. & C

United States,
Massachusetts District -
Thomas Gleason of Burlington, in the County of Middlesex, and District of Massachusetts - a resident citizen of the United States, and applicant for a pension from the United States, under an Act of Congress entitled "an Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary war," maketh oath - That he served as a private soldier in the war of the Revolution for upwards of six years, in manner following, viz 1) In May 1775 enlisted in the company commanded by Captain Richardson in the Massachusetts Regiment commanded by Colonel Foye - and served in said corps eight months. (2) Enlisted in January 1776 in the company commanded by Captain Weeks and served in said corps until the night of January 1777. (3) Rec'd in the Massachusetts Regiment commanded by Colonel Varnum, in which in January 1778 in the company commanded by Captain Andrews and afterwards by Captain Smith, and in the Massachusetts Regiment and served in said corps until December, 1778. (4) Enlisted in May 1780 in the company commanded by Captain Hill, in the Massachusetts Regiment commanded by Colonel Nickols - and served in said corps until the end of the war when he was honorably discharged. He also served in 1777 three months in the company commanded by Captain Abraham Foster in the Massachusetts Regiment commanded by Colonel Brattle - and nine months in 1779 in the company commanded by Captain Hurdang in the Massachusetts Regiment commanded by Colonel Bridge - and is in subsistence circumstances as to require aid from his country -
Thomas Gleason
Massachusetts District } Boston 7. April A.D. 1818 }
Sworn to before me M c Davis Dist 1 Judge Mass Dist

and at the same time he produces to the Court here the following Oath, taken and subscribed by him, before the Hon. Wm Wetmore a Judge of said Court as aforesaid, to wit,
11 I, Thomas Gleason do solemnly swear, that I was a resident citizen of the United States, on the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, and that I have not, since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner whatever, disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress, entitled "an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war," passed on the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property, or securities, contracts, or debts, due to me ; nor have I any income, other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed. So help me God.
Thomas Gleason
Middlesex ss. C. C. C. P. June Term, A. D. 1820
Then the abovenamed Thomas Gleason took and subscribed the aforeswritten Oath before me,
Wm Wetmore Judge of said Court.
I, ABRAHAM BIGLOW, Clerk of the Court aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing Oath, and Schedule thereto annexed, are truly copied from the record of the said Court; and I do further certify, that it is the opinion of the said Court that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid Schedule is nothing
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the said Court, at Cambridge, in said County of Middlesex, on this 20 th day of July 1820.
Attr.
Abraham Biglow

225.
Thomas Gleason Burlington
106.41
May 1819
Cont 22 pp.
1820
[Faint, mirrored handwritten text, likely bleed-through from the reverse side of the page]

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
MIDDLESEX, ss.
At the Circuit Court of Common Pleas for the Middle Circuit, begun and holden at Concord, within and for the County of Middlesex, on the second Monday of June A. D. 1820.
Before the Hon. SAMUEL DANA, Esquire, Chief Justice, and
WILLIAM WETMORE, and } Associate Justices STEPHEN MINOT, Esquires, } of said Court.
Paroling term
In open Court here, being a Court of Record for said Circuit, proceeding according to the course of the common law, with a jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount, keeping a record of its proceedings, and having the power of fine and imprisonment, Thomas Gleason resident at in said Circuit, who is named in Pension Certificate No. 10646, now in his possession, of which the following is a true copy, to wit,
“WAR DEPARTMENT.....REVOLUTIONARY CLAIM.”
“I certify that, in conformity with the Law of the United States, of the 18th March, 1818, Thomas Gleason late a Private in the army of the Revolution, is inscribed on the Pension List, Roll of the Massachusetts Agency, at the rate of eight dollars per month, to commence on the seventh day of April one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.”
“Given at the War Office of the United States, this fifteenth day of May one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.”
J. C. CALHOUN, Secretary of War,”
J. P. Edwards in the above recd behalf of the late Thomas Gleason
appears, and exhibits to the Court here a Schedule, subscribed by him, as follows, to wit,
SCHEDULE,
containing his whole estate and income, his necessary clothing and bedding excepted, to wit,
“The said Thomas Gleason has no property of any kind excepting his necessary clothing, he is now past sixty eight years of age is very infirm has one hand injured in the Army of the Revolution and served in that Army three years and has no family but has been assisted by the town to which he belongs.”
Thomas Gleason
Sworn to and declared before W m Wetmore Judge.
The within named Thomas Gleason served thirteen months in Capt Joshua Reed's company part of the time and part under Capt James Parsons in Col

Clamp Regt in Rhode Island, also nine months in Capt Hudangs company in Col J Boylows Regt Massachusett was also fifteen months in Capt Hills company in Col Lewis Nicholows Regt same time. Thoms Gleason

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
V. 32732 Rev. War
Bureau of Pensions,
Washington, D. C., _____, 190_____
In reply to your request of _____, received _____ for a statement of the military history of Thomas Gleason a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pension on file in this Bureau.
   DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. STATE.   CAPTAIN. COLONEL.     May 1775 8 mos. Pvt. Richardson Faye Mass.   Jan'y 1776 July 1777 Joshua Reed Varnum James Varnum Continental (P.S.)   1777 3 mos. Abraham Foster Bullard Mass.   Jan'y 1778 Dec. 1778 Andrews Smith Jacobs "   June 1779 9 mos Hudson Bisson "   May 1780 End of war Hill Lewis Nicola Continental  
Battles engaged in, _____ Residence of soldier at enlistment, Enlisted at Hoburn, Middlesex Co. Mass. Date of application for pension, Apr. 7, 1818. His ch. was of age. Residence at date of application, Burlington, Middlesex Co. Mass. Age at date of application, 1  Died Aug. 5, 1838 *
Remarks:  No family data * from C.R.
Very respectfully,
Commissioner.

32 732 Rev INVALID.
1912 July 27 Hist. Soc. Mr. J. C. L. Clarke V.P.
File No. 32 732
Thomas Gleason
Rev Rev
Act: 18 th March 1818 n
Index:—Vol. 9 , Page 153
[Arrangement of 1870.]

United States
Chieftains District
Sylvanus Wood - maketh oath that he served in the army with Thomas Gleason, in 1775 and in 1776 and personally knew him faithfully to perform the duty of a soldier. J. L. Merrill
Massachusetts District
Boston 7. April A.D. 1818
Sworn to before me

MASSACHUSETTS DISTRICT, ss.
Boston June 10
A. D. 18 18
Thomas Gleason
IT appearing to my satisfaction, that Thomas Gleason subscriber to the annexed declaration, sworn to before me, did serve in the revolutionary war against the common enemy, as stated in said declaration, I now transmit the testimony in the case, with the proceedings had thereon, to the Secretary of the department of war, pursuant to the directions of the act entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war;" the testimony and proceedings in the premises being the declaration aforesaid, with the accompanying documents marked A together with this certificate.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the District Court of the United States for this District
MASSACHUSETTS DISTRICT, ss.
Boston 18 January 1819.
I AM satisfied that the above named, Thomas Gleason by reason of his reduced circumstances in life, is in need of assistance from his Country for support.
J. Davis
{ District Judge U. S. Massachusetts Dist.
TO THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR.

MASSACHUSETTS DISTRICT, ss.
Boston June 10
A. D. 18 18
Thomas Pleanau
IT appearing to my satisfaction, that Thomas Pleanau subscriber to the annexed declaration, sworn to before me, did serve in the revolutionary war against the common enemy, as stated in said declaration, I now transmit the testimony in the case, with the proceedings had thereon, to the Secretary of the department of war, pursuant to the directions of the act entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war;" the testimony and proceedings in the premises being the declaration aforesaid, with the accompanying documents marked  A together with this certificate.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the District Court of the United States for this District to be hereunto affixed.
M c David
} Judge of the District Court U. S. Massachusetts District.

The Town Clerk
LANCASTER MASS.
Lancaster, Mass., 23 July, 1912.
Mr. J. L. Davenport, Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
In reply to your very prompt and satisfactory answer to my enquiry of the 15th inst. regarding the Revolutionary record of Samuel Brown, of Sterling, I want to say that it supplied exactly the information which I needed, and that I am very much obliged.
With regard to my other line of search, (the records of Mass. soldiers in the Revolution, named Thomas Gleason) my object in writing your office was to gain additional data to enable me to assign the fourteen different records of service under this name in "Mass. soldiers and sailors of the Rev. War" to the two, or perhaps three, different

Thomas Gleason who served in that war. Of two of these men I have some knowledge from the Gleason Genealogy and from various court records. As I am giving your office considerable trouble it will be proper to say that this search is connected with a biography, which I have been at work upon for years, of Dr. Samuel Stearns, the Tory author, in whose life one of these Thomas Gleasons played a sinister part. I will distinguish them as "A" and "B".
A. Thomas Gleason (John 4 , Isaac , Isaac 3 , Wm. 2 , Thos. 1 ), born Woburn, Mass., 29 Nov., 1751; married Abigail Johnson, of Woburn. Seems to have had an honorable service, covering the whole war, under different commands.
B. Thomas Gleason (Joseph 4 , Thos. 3 , John 2 , Thos. 1 ), born Worcester, Mass., 22 Jan., 1756. My first knowledge of him is in 1779, when at the April term of the Superior Court of Judi-

3 - capture at Worcester he pleaded guilty to three counts of passing counterfeit money and was sentenced to two months imprisonment. At the end of his sentence, in July, he enlisted in the army and marched to Springfield with other recruits. He is alleged to have deserted at this period, and also to have been a deserter from the British forces, but of that I have no proof. In Sept., 1780, he was back in Worcester, once more under suspicion with regard to counterfeit money, and, to save himself (as he later confessed) he gave false evidence against Dr. Samuel Stearns, of Paxton, the Loyalist. He seems to have rejoined the army in Feb., 1781, and again to have deserted in June. I have no further definite information about him till 1790, when he appeared before the Supreme Judicial Court at Cambridge on a charge of fraud committed at Billerica (he is called, in the records of this case, "of Vermont") but was released by the court. The following year, however, (Aug.

term, 1791, Boston) he was tried for burglary 4 committed at Brookline, was convicted, and sentenced to Castle Island for five years.
I have not yet succeeded in tracing him further. He is alleged by one with whom he had lived to have been a person much "addicted to vice and immorality" who "had rather lie than speak the truth", and appears, indeed, to have been a typical "crook" of his day; but on account of the important part which Dr. Stearns gives him in his (Stearns's) misfortunes, his career is of great interest to me.
Turning now to the enclosed records of service, which for convenience I have numbered, it is clear, I think, that (1) and (9) refer to "A"; and (in spite of some discrepancies in description) that (2), (3), (8), and (14) refer to "B". That leaves (4), (5), (6), (7), (10), (11) and (12) — These last two obviously the same — and (13) which I am not able to assign with certainty, and I am very anxious to.

I think it very possible that some of these records, e.g. (5), refer to still a third Thomas Gleason. I know, however, of but one other contemporary T. G. He (Phinehas 4 , Isaac 3 , Thos. 2 , Thos. 1 ) was born Framingham, Mass., 9 May, 1745, lived in Princeton, Mass., and died in Hubbardston, Mass., 16 Jan., 1817. I have found no evidence that he served in the army.
I shall be very grateful for help along the lines I have indicated, and would be glad of as full and complete data as possible.
Very respectfully,
K. C. L. Clark.
Enclosure Returned July 27 1912

I Uriah Goodwin of Bedford in the county of Middlesex, do testify and say, that Thomas Gleason near of Burlington in said county and myself in the month of June, I think A.D. 1849 - enlisted at Woburn in said county and went to the North river where we joined Col. Bigelow's regiment and were in Capt. Huddan's company. We both enlisted for the term of nine months. In the month of February following I was wounded and carried to Danbury - Said Gleason came to see me in March or April then next and I then understood that he served out his time and had an honorable discharge, and I have now no doubt that was the fact. —
Uriah Goodwin
Middlesex ss. February 15, 1849. —
The above named Uriah Goodwin, who hereby certify is a man of good reputation for veracity, personally appeared and made oath to the truth of the foregoing affidavit by him subscribed,
Before me
Joseph Locke Justice of the Peace
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Middlesex ss. I Abraham Bigelow Clerk of the Judicial courts in the County of Middlesex, do certify, that Joseph Locke Esquire, is a Justice of the peace acting under the authority of this Commonwealth, & his name set to the above certificate is his own proper signature.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of the Supreme Judicial Court this 17 th day of March 1849. —
Abm Bigelow

I John Johnson of Boston in the County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts of lawfull age testify & say - That I was in the army nine months with Thomas Ghran, that we enlisted together at Roxbury in the County of Middlesex and were marched to West point, where we joined the grand army. Capt. Thaddeus commanded the Company - Collo. Higgin the Regiment, in General Glocer's Brigade. In the summer of seventeen hundred and seventy nine we enlisted, and both of us served the full term of nine months.
John Johnson
Suffolk ss. Boston 1 st . March 1819.
The above named John Johnson who I hereby certify is a man of good Reputation for veracity, personally appeared and made Oath to the Truth of the above Deposition by him subscribed.
Before me Jonathan Hastings Jus of Peace.
Suffolk ss. Commonwealth of Massachusetts
I certify that the said Jonathan Hastings was justice of the Peace in and for said County of Suffolk and that the above signature is his hand writing.
Attest Jo: Snaker Clerk of Sup. Judicial Court and Prothonotary of Common Pleas in and for said County of Suffolk